East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is ready for its second busiest time of the year.
On Halloween 2025 EMAS received 3,865 calls for help, rising to 4,144 calls the following day. A typical day sees around 3,400 calls.
The demand is partly linked to more accidents and injuries while celebrating, and increased alcohol-related incidents.
2026 has seen almost constant pressure and high demand for the ambulance service, with extremely hot and busy summer months.
Every month in 2026 has been busier compared to 2025, with May and June seeing over 6% more patients needing help - on average 175 additional people every day.
Ben Evans, Director of Service Delivery at EMAS, said
“With Halloween on a Saturday this year, and a busy winter period ahead of us, it’s crucial that the ambulance service is only called in a life-threatening emergency.
“This year EMAS has our highest ever numbers of frontline staff and vehicles available to respond to emergencies across the East Midlands, and our crews, control room staff and volunteers are working incredibly hard and I want to thank them for this.
“Our resources are finite, so to ensure we can get to those sickest patients, please use the other NHS services available to you for urgent or routine problems, and if you are eligible, get vaccinated against flu, which we’re already seeing circulating in our communities.
"We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that ambulance crews are released no longer than 45 minutes after arriving at the hospital."
Improvements to our service
EMAS is prepared for the busy winter months ahead. Despite record demand this year, EMAS has responded more quickly to patients experiencing suspected stroke, chest pain and other emergency symptoms (known as category 2) compared to 2025 in August and September.
EMAS is committed to continuously improving our service to patients across the region:
- In December, 200 additional frontline staff and 20 new ambulances will be responding to patients across the East Midlands, following additional investment from NHS England and our commissioners.
- By April 2028 EMAS will have welcomed a 400 additional frontline staff and 40 new ambulances to our fleet.
- Every month, trained paramedics and nurses in our control rooms are helping 15,000 patients get the right help from other services, without sending an ambulance.
This Halloween, remember:
- Celebrate safely – don’t drink and drive, look after yourself and those around you, plan a safe journey home
- Motorists, please take extra care when driving, particularly in residential areas
- Supervise children – wear something reflective or use a torch, particularly around roads
- Take care with flammable costumes around candles and fireworks